Adventures in Agriculture

Chickens

If I ever tried to convince you to get backyard chickens, I apologize. Chickens are dumb. And gross. If it weren’t for eggs and soup, they’d have almost no redeeming value.

One of these days I will do a whole post on chickens. Actually, it will probably take several posts. But it is late and I am tired so that will have to wait for another time. Just know that as of today, chickens are my least favorite animals on the farm. I’m sure that will change several times before all is said and done.

Today was a chicken filled day. We had to move the “layers” (egg-laying hens) from one paddock to another which took about 1.5 hours, most of which we spent trying to herd the chickens from one pen to the other. Who knew you could break a serious sweat in 35°F? After lunch we cleaned the hen-house which was pretty gross. Don’t believe that chickens are dumb? As we shoveled the manure out of the hen-house, the chickens started eating it. Yep. Nasty. They will also eat their own eggs if one gets cracked.

In fairness, the cold may be responsible for my dislike of chickens. It was bitter out today! I never really thought of my time in New York as preparing me for farm life, but if there is one thing New Yorkers know how to do and do well, it’s layering. I managed silk and wool long underwear under my jeans. And 2 pairs of wool socks tucked in my new boots.

Anyway, moving the chickens and cleaning the coup were the big tasks of the day. Today was an off day for the pigs and cows since we spread straw in all their pens yesterday. We only had to feed them today. Tomorrow we will spread straw again. It’s an every-other-day chore.

Highlight of the day: A goat jumped the fence and Steve and I had to chase him back into the pen. I felt like Anne of Green Gables chasing Dolly the jersey cow through the cabbage patch. Only I didn’t fall into a big mud puddle. And I wasn’t rescued by Gilbert Blythe. I’m OK with both of those things.

Yup, chicken herding is not top of anyone’s list of quick and easy chores. They panic and lose what little there is of their tiny minds, go the wrong way, beat themselves against fences that have always been there, etc. So, I’m just curious, since they have a mobile coop, why not just move them while they’re still shut in it, in the morning?

We actually don’t lock them in at night. Most go in voluntarily, but we don’t close the doors. It’s much better now. We have a new house and 500 new layers so we just let them run the whole pasture rather than keeping them in a smaller fenced area. They follow along with the house and always seem to find their way back to where they belong.